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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · spring · vault · nail · degree · mine · fall · press

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fall — the season
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — the season
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — from a university
  14. press — to push
  15. vault — a safe
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. spring — a coil
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com